Insulated blanket wrap

[Dan C. FL]

Hi friends! Long time, no chat. I haven’t done much cooking to report because it’s cold here in WI and also because I kinda got annoyed fighting the constant wind. For Christmas, my wife got me a Lava Lock blanket for my smoker. She did some research and thought it might help me with my battles with the wind. Have you used one? How effective was it against wind? Any tips?

Thanks!!!

 

[Mac LA]

Just looked it up, holy crap it's spendy!!speedy!!! It has good reviews on Amazon but then again there are only 5 reviews.

I'd get pissed off taking it on and off to spritz and wrap, personally, but in your area is likely needed.

 

[Lew Newby]

The blanket helps with the cold but only a wind break is going to help with the wind. At least up there it doesn't have to be hurricane rated. Sounds like you're getting acclimated after the move.

 

[Jerry N.]

Hi friends! Long time, no chat. I haven’t done much cooking to report because it’s cold here in WI and also because I kinda got annoyed fighting the constant wind. For Christmas, my wife got me a Lava Lock blanket for my smoker. She did some research and thought it might help me with my battles with the wind. Have you used one? How effective was it against wind? Any tips?

Thanks!!!

Well it’s not like you’re going to return it (that would be highly unadvisable from a relationship perspective) so no matter what is said here, you’re going to do the right thing and cook some BBQ and tell your wife how great that thing is.

Personally, I don’t have one but I believe it will help on a windy day. Cold is not really an issue. I’ve smoked in very cold weather with no issues, but wind is a pain and I just don’t cook if the weather is that bad - fair weather smoker. Rain can also be a pain but again, not sure the blanket is the best way to deal with that. I have a way to get a little overhang using the wall of my porch and that works pretty well. Again, best to just not cook on those days if you can avoid it.

Let us know how you like it.

 

[Jim Bloomfield]

It will help Honestly the lava lock will make a noticeable difference. Add a three side cardboard wind break and you will have a awesome setup.

 

[Jim C in Denver]

I would love to here some actual experiences on this blanket/jacket.

My smoker is now up in the mountains. Where summertime use is severely limited due to fire restrictions. Which means my smoking season is now fall, winter, spring. Not ideal.

My smoker spot is (usually) shielded by the house on two sides from the most prevalent wind direction, but I still can get some swirls and gusts of high wind. And the overnight temps are single digits and lower. I do have a roof overhang that eliminates most snow/rain. So I'm wondering how much this would help with my fairly extreme conditions, especially the cold.

While I know you can operate in the cold with enough charcoal and fire tending effort, doing a 12+ hour pork shoulder cook in 0F weather seems very unappealing. Since that would mean a lot of time outside and going through huge amounts of charcoal.

Thanks JIm C

Also, is this "jacket" the same product as the Lavalock "blanket"?

Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker Jacket

Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker Jacket extends cooking times and conserves charcoal by protecting the smoker from the wind, rain, snow, and cold weather.

bbqguru.com

 

[Jerry N.]

While I know you can operate in the cold with enough charcoal and fire tending effort, doing a 12+ hour pork shoulder cook in 0F weather seems very unappealing. Since that would mean a lot of time outside and going through huge amounts of charcoal.

Thanks JIm C

It really doesn’t work that way. One New Years Eve it was single digits (cold) but it was not windy. I did 9 racks of ribs on my 18” WSM and I had no problem. It really wasn’t any different than a normal cook other than I didn’t do much standing around outside. I’ve also done long cooks and have not noticed any difference. I guess it could have burned a bit more charcoal but if it did, I didn’t notice. Now in the rain or on a windy day, all bets are off. But cold, in and of itself, is not a big deal.